Edmund Durfee Murder Timeline
from news/journals

November 1845

Saturday, November 15, 1845Green Plains, Illinois:
At about midnight, near Solomon Hancock's house, a stack of
straw was discovered on fire and several people went out to
try to put out the flames. They raked away the straw
to prevent the barn from catching on fire. While they
were doing this, they heard a whistle from the east, one
from the west, and soon a shot was fired at them. Six
guns were fired and one of the balls entered the body of Edmund Durfee, just above his
heart. He died instantly. No one else was hurt.
After his death, the mob boasted that they fired at Brother Durfee on a bet for a
gallon of whiskey that they could kill him on the first
shot. **Earlier in September, Edmund
Durfee's house in Morley's Settlement was burned
down and he had come to Nauvoo to live. He had
recently returned to the southern part of the county to
take in his grain.

Sunday, November 16, 1845Nauvoo, Illinois:Edmund Durfee's body was
brought into the city to be buried. He was in a “heart
rending condition, all steeped in his gore and his numerous
family all weeping around him.”
On hearing of the Durfee murder, Major Warren immediately
left with thirty men to search for those who committed the
murder.
... The Twelve met in council during the
afternoon. They worked on a letter that would be sent
to Major Warren the following day. Brigham Young
received a letter from Sheriff Backenstos stating that Edmund Durfee was murdered and that
the troops were not giving protection. He asked what
should be done to avenge Durfee's
blood.
Mason Brayman, attorney for the State of Illinois, wrote a
letter this day, probably to Governor Thomas Ford:
Depredations on both sides continue, and I am convinced that
a general outbreak is intended. Several robberies have
been committed by the Mormons during the past week. A
pair of horses, two fat oxen, sheep, hobs, &c., are
'among the missing.' They continue to send out spies,
patrols, and armed companies, prowling about the prairies
and interrupting travellers. . . . I am in possession of
information which convinced me that a Secret but general
organization has been in progress in this and the
Surrounding Counties for the purpose of depredating upon the
Mormons and producing a State of things which will bring on
a Collision--to End in their expulsion from the State at
once.

In the evening, it was still raining very hard and it was
very cold.

Monday, November 17, 1845Nauvoo, Illinois:
Orson Hyde finished the letter from the Twelve to Major
Warren. It told him about the murder of Edmund Durfee and the burning of
Brother Rice's home. “We look to you to take such
steps and adopt such measures as you, in your wisdom, shall
deem expedient, and that you will make your views public as
early as consistent.” They asked if they should send a
number of men to the southern part of the county to protect
their men who were gathering crops.
Affidavits were taken before the justice of the peace in
regards to the murder of Brother
Durfee and the burning of Brother Hicks and Brother
Rice's homes.

Tuesday, November 18, 1845Nauvoo, Illinois:
The weather was nice. The Twelve met in council at
Willard Richards’ home. They received a letter from
the attorney of the state, a Mr. Brayman, requesting
affidavits and witnesses against the murders of Brother Durfee, to be sent to
Carthage. They were also told that George Backman, Mr.
Moss and Mr. Snyder were charged with the murder of Brother Durfee. The council
immediately requested that witnesses leave in the morning
for Carthage to testify at another expected farce.
Brigham Young also received a letter from Solomon Hancock,
letting him know that Major Warren appeared to be doing all
he could to find those who have been committing the crimes
in the southern portion of the county.

Carthage, Illinois:
In the evening, the less‑violent anti‑Mormons in the area
held a public meeting in the Court House for the purpose
of “rejecting and deprecating such Acts . . . and
perpetrations” against the Mormons. Thomas L. Barnes
was appointed secretary of the meeting. At this
anti‑Mormon meeting, the group tried to distance themselves
from the crimes. “Resolved‑‑that we prefer, and the
history of our difficulties shows that we have ever
preferred, to suffer wrong rather than become wrong doers;
and that the public abroad would do great injustice to us,
and to their own candor, to confound us with, or hold us in
any way accountable for the violent Acts of a few reckless
individuals, such as civil commotions will always bring
together for mischief.” They looked forward to the
time when the Mormons would leave the county and pledged to
keep the peace.

Major Warren, in charge of the state troops, made
several very sharp speeches to the anti‑Mormons and let them
know that if they did not help bring the murders of Edmund Durfee to justice, that he
would withdraw his troops from the county and leave them to
Sheriff Backenstos who was friendly to the Mormons. He
also mentioned that if he could not bring the murders to
justice, he would establish martial law for a little while,
try them by court martial, and have them shot.

Wednesday, November 19, 1845Nauvoo, Illinois:
The weather was fine. An “extra” issue of the Nauvoo
Neighbor was published that reported the murder of Edmund Durfee and the arson to
Brothers Rice and Hick's homes. It reported that
nearly 2,500 wagons were being built for “our Pacific
journey” in the spring. The Saints were asked not to
take actions of revenge, but to look forward to a time of
peace when they would be in the west. Carthage, Illinois:
Activity started to take place in relation to apprehending
the murderers of Edmund Durfee.
A Mr. Stephens arrested some men and brought them to
Carthage and wanted the privilege of trying his own
arrests. Major Warren knew that Stephens was a
mobocrat and made Mr. Bartlett issue new writs and took the
prisoners out of Stephens' hands.

Thursday, November 20, 1845Carthage, Illinois:
Major Warren was very busy and active in arresting the
murderers of Edmund Durfee and
those who burned William Rice's home. He had several
of them under guard at Carthage while in pursuit of
more. He had chased one of them into Missouri and
forced him back at gunpoint without any requisition from the
governor. He admitted to Sheriff Backenstos that Durfee would not have been murdered
if the troops had not been in the county.

Friday, November 21, 1845
Nauvoo, Illinois:
The weather was quite cold. The Twelve met in council
and prayer in the evening. Willard Richards was
sick. At about 7 p.m., Sheriff Backenstos came into
the council and reported that he had been watching Major
Warren very closely for the last four days. He
commented that he thought Major Warren had turned
“Jack‑Mormon” because he was so active in pursuing the
murderers of Edmund Durfee.
He also told them that he was served with an injunction by
the clerk of the commissioners' court, and they have refused
to issue orders granted by the last court to pay the
sheriff's posse for quieting the rioters and house‑burners.

Saturday, November 22, 1845Nauvoo, Illinois:
The weather was very windy and cold.

Sunday, November 23, 1845Nauvoo, Illinois:
The day was very cold, with thick ice on the river. At
11 a.m. the seventies met in the Concert Hall. Brigham
Young met with the captains of the emigrating companies and
gave them instruction to prepare themselves for the journey
to the west. It was reported that 3,285 families had
been organized into companies, 1,508 wagons were on hand and
1,892 wagons were being built.

Monday, November 24, 1845Nauvoo, Illinois:
The weather was cold and overcast.
News came to Nauvoo that the men who murdered Edmund Durfee and also those who
burned the Rice and Hicks houses were released by the
magistrate without trial. Many brethren had gone to
Carthage to testify as witnesses, but returned
unheard. The grand jury was not even called to hear
the case.